2009 Environmental Health

Gary Belew, US Army Environmental Command Health

Nominated By: Mark McMillan
Image: Gary Belew and Bobby Sanchez

Currently serves as a Land Conservation Ecologist supporting the Army Environmental Command Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) Team efforts to buffer Army installations from incompatible development that concurrently preserves sensitive wildlife habitat throughout the United States.

Mr. Belew has served as Chief, Natural and Cultural Resources Division (NCRD), DECAM, at Fort Carson and the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site totaling over 373,000 acres. Key program areas included water resources and water rights management, improved and unimproved lands management, fish and wildlife management, and the Installation cultural resources programs.

Gary has consistently supported regional interests by defining partnership potentials and assumed leadership of regional conservation partnerships that bridge the gap between public needs and public servants. His efforts have consistently supported regional ecosystem level initiatives such as the Central Shortgrass Prairie Partnership, Peak to Prairie Initiative, Fort Carson’s Greenprint and Army Compatible Use Buffer programs, the Fountain Creek Watershed Taskforce and the Front Range Ecoregional Management Team.

Mr. Belew is involved in numerous natural resource volunteer efforts. He has served on the Steering Committee of the Fountain Creek Watershed Taskforce and is currently on the Steering Committee for the Central Shortgrass Prairie Partnership in Colorado. Mr. Belew has taught classes at the Pikes Peak Community College and is the Chairman of the college’s Advisory Board of the Natural Resources Technology Program. He has been presented an Environmental Achievement Award from the Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding watershed protection and community environmental education. He has received the Outstanding Contributor Award from Pikes Peak Community College, the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Efforts in Smart Growth, and the 1996 Department of Army – Natural Resources Security Award for Large Installations. Finally, Gary’s work has been recognized in important ecological periodicals, including the tournal of The Nature Conservancy.